A Story of a Boy
by Son-of-Athena
Summary: The choice was to go Hogwarts, or live with two people who have lied for 16 years about being his parents. Joshua Bell chose Hogwarts. Now he is a wizard, living with the Granger Family! Chapter III is up! Read and Review!!!
1. A Child of No One

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Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters/places/ or anything else. These are property of J.K. Rowling, and the other nice people who helped her with it. Joshua Bell, and various other characters shall be my ideas, or the ideas I got from friends. Please ask me to use them. Thank You. 

Child of No One

By Joshua T. Bell

"Joshua Bell!" Screamed a voice from down the stairs, "GET DOWN HERE NOW!" The British accent was easily distinguished to be the caretaker, but he didn't care. He just smiled as moved slowly down the stairs. 

"I'm coming Nana..." Josh stated with a small snide remark on the edge of his tongue. He just continued down the steps and looked at the fat housekeeper.

"You will remove all those books from the floor at this instant, or I swear to the God Almighty, that you will never see them again!" Her voice was filled with anger and hatred, but a vein in her head was definitely popping out of her head, wanting to explode. 

"You burn those books, and I swear to the God Almighty, that you will never live to hear the end of it, and those nice China dishes you received from your Great Aunt will no longer be able to eat off of.." The _I _in the sentence was emphasized, but he didn't care much more than that. She walked off in with a humph sound coming either from a large legs clashing together, or from her large mouth that never seemed to shut up.

Josh moved easily down the stairs. His parents wouldn't be home for another few hours, but he still decided to clean up his books, and put away their clothes, which Nana had earlier refused to put away. He returned upstairs and put his clothes into his mother's oak closet, and put his encyclopedias into the large story chest beside his bed. A sigh was released from his lungs as he lay on his bed. It was nearly the 18th of June, almost a month after his birthday, and yet he gotten all of his presents. He just smiled as his eyes drifted shut. He quickly moved his glasses to the side of his bed, and finally sleep overcame him.

Joshua Bell was only 11 at the time, but it didn't matter. He was still shorter than anyone else in his class. They were all tall, while he was like a dwarf under them. His hair was a dark brown, and seemed to always be in a mess, except when he felt like doing something with it. His blue eyes were covered with a small set of glasses that changed his look immensely, if he didn't have them on. 

A small 'hoot' awoke him. His eyes were hazy but another 'hoot' made them more aware. He quickly grabbed for his glasses, and they were easily put on his face. He was more aware than ever. He moved towards the balcony door and opened it. The 'hooting' grew louder as he exited his inner domain, and entered into the small balcony. Finally, a large barn owl flew down, and landed on the small railing. A letter was attached to its beak. 

An inner urge drew him near. He moved close to the barn owl, a small sense of weirdness overcoming him. He grabbed at the letter from the beak, but the owl didn't even flinch. As soon as he had grabbed the letter, the owl just opened its wings and flew off in the same direction it had come. Josh looked for a few more minutes towards the owl, but as he looked down at the letter, his mind yearned to open it. 

He turned it over, and looked at the seal. Four animals were placed on it, which made it seem even it a little weirder. The animals were within a large crest, a badger, an eagle, a lion, and finally a snake. He looked at it with awe, as if it held something magical. He broke the crest, and opened the letter, which read;

__

Dear Mr. Bell

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours Sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

He looked at it for a second, with a smile on his face, "Is it real?" He whispered as he looked at his next sheet of paper.

__

Uniform

First-year students will require:

1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)

He only read that, but it went on saying he needed everything to cauldrons to wands. He let out a small laugh as he saw another owl fly by, as if they were delivering another letter. "Come here!" Josh whispered loudly. He needed the owl. It glided over and stopped. A letter still clutched in its beak, "Wait here!" Josh stated to the owl. He ran into his room and grabbed some paper. He quickly wrote a small letter, and handed it to the owl. 

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Dear Professor McGonagall,

Where can I get all this stuff? I will be arriving at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on time, but I know not where to find these objects.

Thank You

Sincerely,

Joshua T. Bell

A smile was all the way across Josh's face. He had never been happier. He let out a large laugh, as he entered his room and closed his door. The smile was stamped on his face, but it quickly left.

Jennifer and Todd Bell were standing there looking at him. Their nightclothes were easily seen to be thrown on quickly. Their expressions were of pure anger. Nana came running up the stairs, her own nightgown a lavender, which seemed odd that they made nightgowns in THAT size. 

"What are you doing out on your balcony?" Todd sneered at his son. His voice was low and demanding. It didn't even seem like he had been sleeping at all. His 6' tall height made him seem almost like a giant. 

"And what were you doing owling someone?" Jennifer replied, "We do not want magic in the family, and that means you are not going to Hogwarts.." Her voice was confident and yet very odd. She had never said anything about owling, or magic before. Hogwarts was a word he had never heard said before, but now it seemed as if she had said it before.

"What?" Josh questioned looking at her, "How did you know?" 

"I know a lot more than you think I do. Now give me the letter," She stated holding on her hand. Her nails were polished red, while her hair seemed to have been combed already and her clothes to have been pressed, "The letter.." Her voice and tone were pure seriousness he wasn't going to be able to go.

"You can't stop me from going," Josh stated his own voice being pure seriousness. 

"You are not going to end up like your stupid parents," Todd stated his own voice being terrible and ruthless.

"What are you talking about?" He stated in return, a look of awe had polished his face. 

"Do you think we could actually be your parents? Look at us, look at you. You are nothing like us. We have some type of sophistication, while you…you don't have anything except your own dreams. If your parents hadn't gotten them selves killed, we would not have found you, and thought we could raise you." Jennifer stated, her face looked as if horns could have grown from her head.

"And then that stupid person in robes said to let you go to school. You are nothing like us, and if you decide to go to that school, we will pay for it, but don't expect for us to be here when you are finished." Todd snarled out.

Josh looked at his parents, or who he once thought to be his parents. He had never heard of this before. Never thought that anyone but them were his parents. They had never acted like this, never even gave out such a hint. Now, they had given him a chance, a chance to be what he wanted, to be with people who were like him, but he would never see them again. 

"I'm going.." He said in a hoarse voice. He looked at them, and through her serious face. You could clearly see a tear fall from Jennifer's face.

Todd looked at him, his face and voice both held the same steady seriousness. He pulled out his wallet. He wrote out a check for $1,000, and handed it to Josh, "Pack tonight, tomorrow I am taking you to the last place you will ever see us." He turned and left, Jenny followed behind. Nana continued back down the stairs.

Josh felt a tear stain his face. He shut the door, and lay down on his bed. Tears flooded his cheeks, and after an hour. He had cried himself out. His life had changed drastically in just a few seconds. He was something he thought could never happen. His parents were frauds. His true parents were not even a memory within his head. His life was all in a frenzy. It was as if he had started a new, he had started a new. A new life without parents. Without someone who was behind him. He started a new life alone. He began to pack for the next day. 


	2. The Leaky Cauldron

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Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters/places/ or anything else. These are property of J.K. Rowling, and the other nice people who helped her with it. Joshua Bell, and various other characters shall be my ideas, or the ideas I got from friends. Please ask me to use them. Thank You. 

The Leaky Cauldron

By Joshua T. Bell

Everything seemed to have happened so fast. Sleep was impossible. His eyes were wide-awake. The hooting of owls everywhere making him flinch. A single animal had changed his life, a night animal! He looked at his inclined ceiling in his room, then finally got up, and threw a few more clothes into his suitcase. 

His room was cluttered. Toys were laid a top of clothes, and even some books were in pieces. It was as if a tornado had been through it. He grabbed a few more things and threw it together in a book bag. His parents' voices rang in his mind. Their screaming, their tantrums, their very hatred of who he had become, were flooding his emotions. Not even a glimpse of their former selves had penetrated the gap of hatred that he had easily came to know. Tears began to dwell up in his eyes once more, but he wouldn't let them fall. He brought his needs to the floor, grabbing at a book, and he collapsed. Tears were falling from his eyes, but his mind had shut itself down. He finally got some peace.

A door slammed against the wall, "Josh get up now!" He yelled. Todd looked at him down on the floor. He was as if a demon had penetrated his fathers, his guardians, body. 

Josh awoke quickly, but as Todd's voice rang in his ears, he stood up. Fear entrapping his body, "Dad.."

"Todd," He snarled back at him, "Grab your bags, we are leaving now." He slammed the door behind him. His feet were pounding on the floor. 

Josh put on some new clothes. He threw together a few more things, and grabbed his suitcase and the few bags he collected. His clothes seemed to weigh him down more than the bags. He moved down the stairs, and out the door by the landing. He was leaving everything. The gray house he had grew up, a loving mother, a fat nanny, and he was leaving his father. He threw everything in the back of the truck, and ran back up to the door and grabbed his skateboard. He put that in back with everything else, and got into the truck.

He didn't take his eyes off of the house. The gray paint had been coming off for some years, but no one ever got to re painting it. It had been like that for so many years. People just forgot about it. The windows were also fairly old, never been changed for the 100 year old house. Overall, it was a well kept old house, but it didn't matter. If he saw it again, it wouldn't be the same. A new family would have moved in, a family who would grow, and flourish in it, as he did. It was just something he would remember, something he would cherish.

The truck stopped. 

Josh turned to his father and gasp, "You cannot be serious!" The place in front of him was terrible. He had never really been to a pub, but this place was even ridiculous to what he had heard about them. 

"Get out now!" His father hissed. This man was not his father. He was not the man he had known throughout his childhood. This man was insane, something that escaped from prison. It was a jackal hidden within a man. 

Josh got out as he was told, but his mind wanted to stay. He had made his choice, but he wanted to be with his family, and go to Hogwarts. He knew now that couldn't happen. He grabbed his bags, and his skateboard, and walked into the Leaky Cauldron. 

His male guardian left him there. He had left almost as quick as he good, but it seemed for a second he would actually give Josh a sense that he cared, or at least had at one time, but he hadn't even given him such satisfaction. He just left him alone, alone in a place where others like him were.

"Looky Here!" A woman stated as Josh entered, "It is a muggle!" The woman laughed an insane laugh. 

"I'm not a Muggle.." Josh stated quietly, "I'm j..Josh.."

The bartender looked at Josh and smiled, "I'd be damned," He stated with a smirk, "You'd be the kid of Joaton Lanton aren't ya?" 

"Joaton?" Josh questioned, "I'm Joshua Bell," He stated, not catching anything about a Joaton Lanton. His mind just trying to understand what he saw around him.

"Joaton and Melody Lanton?" The man questioned again.

"I'm sorry sir, but I'm just Josh. My…par. I got a letter from Hogwarts, and my guardian dropped me off. I have no where else to go." He said, he would have poured our his heart, but this man wouldn't understand all that has happened to him.

"Well then kiddy," The man stated as he opened the bar, "You'd be needing to go to Diagon Ally," He moved through a back door and pulled out a large branch of wood. He tapped a few bricks, and a large doorway opened, "Now if ye need anything I will be here." The bartender stated as move back towards the bar.

Josh moved through the doorway of bricks into a place he had not expected. It was filled with splendid things, none of which he had seen before. He moved through a variety of women who were gawking at something. A large place loomed in the background. He could clearly see the word "Gringotts" and made his way towards that.

The building was large, and as he entered he began to see something he had never seen before. Josh easily figured out it was a bank, but not like any bank he had been in before. Weird little men were well at work. They seemed to have large scabs all over their faces, with long noses, and weird shaped fingers. He continued to move until he reached a large desk with a weird man a top of it. 

"yesss?" He stated. Looking at Josh from above.

"I was wondering.." Josh paused and looked at the man, "If I could get some money?" He handed the man the check.

The little man had very little patience, "You must take that to a Muggle bank, return here when you have regular Muggle bills." His voice seemed deeper, but yet angry. 

"Yes, yes sir," Josh stated as he turned away. He should have known a little bit better. 

It took him the rest of the day to find a bank, and make them believe he was the man on the check. Finally, a bank in downtown London gave him the cash. He easily gotten lost on the way back, but after 5 hours of being gone, he re entered the Leaky Cauldron. 

"Mr." Josh said to the bartender, "Can you let me into the ally once more?"

"Ye really need to get yourself a wand, then ye can do it yeself!" He stated with laughter in his voice. He did the same thing as he did before, and as before the large brick wall opened. 

" I really appreciate what you are doing for me," Josh stated with a smile, "Do you know any place I can stay for the night." 

"Right here at the Leaky Cauldron!" The man stated.

Josh just smiled, "I should have known."

He made his way back to Gringotts Bank, and got a variety of types of money, and move out to the ally. He made his way first to Ollivanders. The story was about to close for the night, but Josh made it on time.

"Hello There," Ollivander stated with a smile, "I am Ollivander," He bowed to the boy and came back up with the same smile he left with.

"I'm Josh, Joshua Bell." He stated with a smile, "I am looking for a wand." 

"Well, why else would you be here? What is your wand arm?" He stated seriously.

"Umm," Josh rose his right hand, not knowing what else to say.

"OK," He said with a large smirk still on his face. His emotion grew serious as he pulled out a wand, "Here is one, Dogwood, Unicorn Tail Feather, 9 inches.." He stated as he handed Josh the wand.

Josh did a small wave, but all glass in the room shattered, "I'm sorry, I will clean that up."

"Don't worry about it," Ollivander stated as he put the wand back in the box. He grabbed another one and handed it to Josh, "Willow, Fairy Wing (deceased of course,) 11 inches!" 

Josh waved it around, but boxes of wands blew from their resting-place into the walls in-between them.

"I really must get this right.." The old man stated as he grabbed on box, "Maybe this will work.." The man stated as he handed it to Josh, "Blue Spruce, Griffin Feather, 14 inches.."

Josh made a pass at it, and a tingle fire erupted around him, "That is cool.." He stated with a smile.

"I always say third times a charm!"

Josh took out a few of the gold coins and handed it to a man, "Thank you very much."

"And thank you for coming." He replied as he used a small charm to restore what had been destroyed. 

Josh had a large smile resting on his face as he moved towards the Leaky Cauldron. He entered and handed the bartender a few gold coins. 

"Here ye are," The bartender handed him a key for his room. 

Josh made his way towards the bedroom, and as he fell onto the bed. His mind wandered about the world he had entered. The large things he could do. He had his own magical item, an item that he never thought he would ever get. He set it down beside his bed as he locked the door. A yawn overcame him, and he soon drifted to sleep on his bed.


	3. The Boy and the Beauty

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Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters/places/ or anything else. These are property of J.K. Rowling, and the other nice people who helped her with it. Joshua Bell, and various other characters shall be my ideas, or the ideas I got from friends. Please ask me to use them. Thank You. 

The Boy and the Beauty

By Joshua T. Bell

The next few weeks went by fast. Josh had known nothing of Hogwarts before the day the owl came to him. He studied furiously, hoping to get some information inside of him before he started school. His mind was rampaged with his foster parents, and the chance to know his real parents. It was all so different now, as if he knew his real parents. 

The Leaky Cauldron was his new home, and the bartender, Tom, was the only person he cared to know. July was soon over, and August began a new term for him. Josh began to study more and more, working on charms and potions. Both were quite complex to him, he just didn't understand the concepts or mixing ingredients together, or waving the wand in the special way to make the charm work. It was complex, yet interesting at the same time, spellbinding in a way. 

Students from all over Britain were now coming to the small ally of wizarding shops. They were all different kinds of students, and each had their own way about them. Josh had made a special task within himself to meet someone new. He wanted to learn what he could from another witch or wizard, and maybe make a friend, something he hadn't even thought of since he left his foster family. 

Josh easily made his way through the brick wall into the ally. He had learned the small brick pattern that made the entrance to Diagon Ally. He got himself a set of black robes that would later be used at Hogwarts, but for now he just wore them to look a little more convincing as a wizard. A young woman with frizzy brown hair moved down the ally. She seemed a bit older than Josh, but only by a few years. 

Josh made his way towards her, his short stature looking almost mortified as he touched her shoulder. She spun around and smiled at him, "Yes?" "I.I." Josh stuttered as he talked, "Are you a Hogwarts student?" 

"Yes, I am, and you would be?" Her voice was soft, yet had a little bit annoyance mixed in. 

Josh looked at her and sighed, "Do you mind if I be blunt?" 

She raised a brow at this, but nodded in silence. "I am Joshua Bell, I have had a very lot of problems, and I need some help with my charms, and potions. If possible do you think you could help me?" He bit his bottom lip, hoping she would give him the decency to say yes or no. 

She smiled at this, "Well, I am Hermione Granger. I would need to ask my parents, but I believe I could arrange it." 

"Thank you, Hermione." Josh stated smiling, his voice somewhat joyful, yet sad. "You should really ask your parents also, Joshua," She stated as she turned away. 

Josh let out a small sob-like sigh, "Miss Granger," He said tapping her shoulder once more, "My parents are dead, and my foster parents, they are gone also."

Hermione was shocked. She turned and looked at him, "Where are you staying at?" 

"My foster parents had the decency to give me a little bit of money, but I have been here over a month, and well, it is dwindling down. My ticket to Platform nine and three quarters, will take up most of the money I have left." He looked at her, "Well, Miss Granger, when you find an answer, just find me up in my room, it is number 15." 

Hermione just nodded in approval, and walked away. Josh made his way back to the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron, and guided himself back to his room. He sat down on the bed, and quickly grabbed a piece of parchment to begin writing up information about a History of Magic, but he soon put it away, the rebellions of Goblins just not really interesting him. He needed something more. He grabbed a book called "Hogwarts; A History" and began to read it furiously. Hogwarts was a lot more interesting reading about it, than the History of Magic. He didn't know about some of the charms, or anything like apparating. Overall, the information held within it was quite interesting. 

He read for what seemed like hours, until a small knock was heard at the door. A yawn escaped his mouth as he stood up. He opened the door, and Hermione Granger stood in front of him, with her two parents behind her, "Hello," Josh stated looking at them with a smile. 

"Hello again, Joshua." Hermione stated with her beautiful voice. 

"Josh, please," He stated with a smile, "And you two are?" He stated to what seemed to be her parents.

"I'm Angela Granger," The woman stated, her hair a straight brown, matching color perfectly to Hermione's, but her eyes a blue.

"I'm Gregory Granger," The man stated. His hair curly but cut short, while his eyes matching his daughters in perfect sync. 

"I'm Joshua Bell, but you may both call me Josh." He stated with a smile lighting his face. 

"Well," Hermione said with her own smile across her face, "I am going to do one of two things, if you do not mind?"

Josh looked at her uneasily, "What are you going to do?" 

"Well, my parents want me to be a little cautious about you, but I made a deal with them. If you prove to us you are who you say you are, we will let you accompany us home for the remainder of the summer, and I will tutor you in the things you asked about." Her voice was stern, and serious, but in some way she was giddy, and happy also. 

"How are you going to do that?" Josh stated once again in an uneasy tone. 

"With a truth serum," She stated as she pulled a small vile out of her hand, "But I will ask that you have nothing you do not want to reveal to me before hand. I will ask a variety of questions, all may reveal secrets that are inside of you."

"I will do it," He stated before thinking, he grabbed the vial of weird colored liquid and drank it down quickly. 

Hermione smiled at his yearning to learn and then asked her first question, "Do you have muggle parents or wizard parents?" 

"I have wizard parents. They were killed, and then I was kidnapped by muggles who raised me as their own." His voice seemed to be somewhat somber when speaking. 

"And why are you staying at the Leaky Cauldron rather than with your foster parents?" Her voice was of amazement. 

"My foster parents gave me a choice between being with them, or becoming a wizard. They gave me only $1,000 dollars, and left me here. I bought books for first year, and with my robes cauldrons, ingredients, and wand, I am almost out of money."

"And how long have you been here?" 

"1 month, 3 days, and 4 hours." He stated with a sigh. His tone began changing slowly.

"The potion is wearing off, but I believe one more question is in order. Do you believe that you made the right choice?" Her voice was interested, yet concerned. 

"I made the right choice, now I can live as my parents did." Josh stated as his voice returned to the normal tone. 

Hermione laughed, "See, I told you he was telling the truth!" The two parents smiled and Gregory just laughed, "We will get a room together for you, but until then I hope you don't mind you sleep on the couch?"

"Nah, I don't mind." He stated his tone completely back to what it was when they started. A smile across his face, "But what will I do after the year of school?"

"We will figure that out as it comes," Hermione stated with a smile.

"Well, let us be off!" said Angela, "Help him back Greg, and then we can go home."

"Home…" Josh stated with a smile. It was the first time the word had meaning after the month he had been away. 


End file.
